Senate Hold ‘Em: The 2014 Midterm Elections

This week, The Takeaway is looking at how the deck is set for this year's battle for the U.S. Senate. It's a game of Senate Hold 'Em and Fold 'Em—we'll look at the Republicans' chances of taking the Senate, and the Democratic fight to hang on.

In Kentucky, a different kind of political candidate will launch his campaign for the Senate next week. His name is Gil Fulbright, and he offers something no other candidate in the race can: Complete and utter honesty.

“Listening to my constituents, legislating, these are things I don't do," says Fulbright in his campaign ad. "What I do is spend about 70 percent of my time raising funds for re-election. I'd do anything to stay in office. My name's Gil Fulbright but hell. I'll change my name to Phil Gulbright or Bill Fullbright or Phillip Mamouf-Wifarts.”

He may have is very own campaign bus, but Gil won’t be featured on the ballot come November, and he’s not even a real person. He’s a satirical character, a product of the bi-partisan organization Represent.Us, designed to highlight the corrupting influence of big money in politics.

And in fact, the Kentucky Senate race is on track to be the most expensive Senate contest ever.

Josh Silver is the Director of Represent.Us and a veteran election and media reform advocate. He explains why the group came up with candidate Gil Fulbright, and how it might impact the real Kentucky Senate race.

Comments [3]

I guess some people won't be swayed dlm. It is bi partisan. There are people on the left who think this will "hurt" Grimes who Rep US also include in their script. You and they are missing the point. The money is the suspicious element. Take it out, then it's all about ideas and bi partisan compromise. What kind of shenanigans are anti corruption laws unless you are on the take? The actor was chosen because he is a stock member of the troop that does these videos and He's got a knack for this type of stuff. He looks nothing like McConnell. But don't feel bad, I have friends who will not believe the moon landing wasn't staged. Well, not close friends.

LOL. The more "honest" a group claims to be, the more dishonesty you can expect. This is really not a bi-partisan movement. It supports a wish list of democrat party election funding shenanigans. They are using outside money to to try and influence the Kentucky senate race, gee, pretty much everything they claim to want stopped. Notice that Fulbright is not female, that would remind voters too much of Grimes. Actually this is not that funny, just despicable.